ReCONvene happening online on August 15

As a reminder, Boskone and its parent organization are using reCONvene 2020 as an online test to see what is possible for us in the virtual space. We're planning to keep it simple with a focus on fantastic panel discussions, presentations, kaffeeklatches, music and art, and online gaming. We will also be using Discord for general conversations and Zoom for our programming.

If you would like to join us, reCONvene 2020 will be held on Saturday, August 15, from 11:00 am-5:00 pm (U.S. Eastern Time). Memberships are $10 per person.

RECONVENE 2020 SPEAKERS PREVIEW
The program participant list is complete, and we are welcoming 65 of today's most popular authors and artists in science fiction to reCONvene. Here is a quick preview:
• Joe Abercrombie
• David Brin
• Ted Chiang
• Aliette de Bodard
• Alan Dean Foster
• Donato Giancola
• Charlaine Harris
• S L Huang
• Justina Ireland
• Stephen Graham Jones
• Aleron Kong
• Victor LaValle
• Seanan McGuire
• Tamora Pierce
• Alastair Reynolds
• Rebecca Roanhorse
• John Scalzi
• Charles Stross
• Paul Tremblay
• Martha Wells
• Micah Yongo
• and many more!
https://reconvenesff.com/schedule/speakers/

ReCONvene 2020 is an experimental online science fiction convention organized by NESFA and Boskone volunteers. We are looking forward to to a great event and hope that you are able to join us as we test out our online format. Therefore, we are keeping the membership prices low so that everyone can afford to attend.

ReCONvene 2020 Membership:
$10.00
https://reconvenesff.com/register/

VOLUNTEER FOR RECONVENE 2020
Would you like to help out? We're looking for volunteers to help with a variety of tasks that include:
• Monitoring Zoom Rooms.
• Acting as an "in room" tech to help moderators.
• Blog posts and other writing.
If you're interested in being a reCONvene 2020 volunteer, please contact reconvene@nesfa.org.

Visit the reCONvene 2020 website.
https://reconvenesff.com/

Zoom and Discord resources for screen reader users

Zoom resources for screen reader users
First of all, it is recommended that you
download
https://zoom.us/download#client_4meeting
and install
https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/207373866-Zoom-Installers
the free Zoom app onto whatever device you are going to use, such as your Windows PC, Mac, iPhone, Android, etc. This will not only give you access to additional features, but make joining meetings easier.

If you are comfortable exploring Zoom on your own, you can find the list of
Zoom Hot keys and keyboard shortcuts here
https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/205683899-Hot-Keys-and-Keyboard-Shortcuts-for-Zoom

Two of the most useful keyboard shortcutsare:
F6, which navigates between Zoom panes/popup windows, and
Control+Alt+Shift, which moves the focus to Zoom's meeting controls.
These two shortcuts are useful for the most common question for blind users, which is "Which window am I in?".

Whether you are an expert user or a novice, however, I recommend that you download and listen to the following audiobook, which is being made freely available by the author.
Jonathan Mosen audiobook _Meet Me Accessibly: A Guide to Zoom Cloud Meetings from a Blindness Perspective_
https://mosen.org/zoom/
Once you unzip the downloaded file, you will find a list of MP3s, each of which describes an individual topic in Zoom. This means that you can listen to the "Introduction" and "Attending Your First Meeting" MP3s first, and then come back later to the more complicated sections such as configuring the client windows for Windows, iOS, or the online website. The audiobook also explains about sharing your screen, and recording meetings.
Note that you can record meetings and also get automatic transcripts. Read more
Zoom Accessibility FAQ
https://zoom.us/accessibility/faq

Another resource for learning to download, install, and get started with Zoom is
Perkins School for the Blind Zoom 101
https://www.perkinselearning.org/technology/blog/zoom-101-basic-steps-using-zoom

There is a second book available on Zoom for visually impaired user, but this one is not free.
_Getting Started with Zoom Meetings: A Guide for Jaws, NVDA, and iPhone Voiceover Users_
by Heather Thomas, Accessibility Services Associate at the Carroll Center
Price: $18
This is a step-by-step text-based guide for screen reader users.
Topics covered include: Initial setup on the PC and iPhone; the basics of participating in meetings; scheduling meetings and inviting participants; strategies for hosting meetings and managing participants; and other useful features like sharing your screen, chatting, and making recordings. A list of important keyboard shortcuts is also included.
Read more at
https://carroll.org/product/getting-started-with-zoom-meetings/?bblinkid=220991595&bbemailid=21485714&bbejrid=1483340570

Here are a couple more guides to help get you started, produced by WebFriendlyHelp.com:
Joining Zoom Meetings
https://webfriendlyhelp.com/joining-zoom-meetings/#content

How to Host Your Zoom Meeting
https://webfriendlyhelp.com/how-to-host-your-zoom-meeting/

Double Tap has this podcast which demonstrates how to send a Zoom meeting invite on an iPhone and then join the meeting on a PC.
A Quick Guide To Using Zoom Cloud Meetings
https://doubletap.online/zoom-cloud-meetings


And, finally, Zoom has a feature called Zoom Backgrounds, which can be used to provide a fun look to your video, or it can be used to hide the room or people behind you.
Explore Zoom backgrounds
https://zoommeetingbackgrounds.com/

Discord resources for screen reader users

the official list of Discord keyboard shortcuts.
https://support.discord.com/hc/en-us/articles/225977308--Windows-Discord-Hotkeys

Accessibility for blind users
https://support.discord.com/hc/en-us/community/posts/360032435152-Discord-Accessibility-for-blind-users

Discord with NVDA
https://forum.audiogames.net/topic/29729/tutorial-how-to-use-discord-with-nvda-on-windows/

Changeling’s Guide to Discord for Screen Reader Users: Servers and Channels
https://www.starshipchangeling.net/changelings-guide-to-discord-for-screen-reader-users-servers-and-channels/

This is the third in a series of posts that explains how to use the Discord service if you are also a screen reader user. If you are unsure of what Discord is, whether or not you wish to use the service, or both, please see
the dedicated page for this guide
https://www.starshipchangeling.net/discord/
for more information.

A WisCon Guide to Discord
https://wiscon.net/a-wiscon-guide-to-discord/

Finally, if you are comfortable installing and using scripts, Doug Lee has created scripts that work with Jaws to improve accessibility
https://www.dlee.org/discord/

New book on using multiple screen readers to browse the web

Kes: David Kingsbury is a technology instructor at the Carroll Center for the Blind and has an amazing knowledge of screen readers: I took three days of classes with him about a month ago and learned a phenomenal amount.

_When One Web Browser Is Not Enough: A Guide for Windows Screen Reader Users_ by David Kingsbury

In just the last few years, more web browsers have become accessible, and screen reader users can greatly benefit by becoming familiar with multiple browsers. Websites are complex animals. When things go wrong with one browser, your first line of defense is often to switch browsers. Each browser has strengths and weaknesses, so you can pick and choose features among them to get the best browsing experience. And once you are comfortable with one browser, it’s not hard to pick up the basics of the others.

When One Web Browser Is Not Enough: A Guide for Windows Screen Reader Users by David Kingsbury, Assistive Technology Instructor at the Carroll Center for the Blind, is meant to help JAWS, NVDA, and Windows Narrator users to effectively use the four leading web browsers – Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Microsoft Edge – in ways that build on the strengths of each of them. Topics covered include: recent trends in web browser and screen reader usage; web accessibility criteria; screen reader keystrokes and strategies for efficiently accessing and navigating websites; browser menu structure; useful web browser features and commands; and JAWS, NVDA and Narrator customizations. Two appendices – a list of keystrokes and a glossary of Internet terms – are included for convenient reference.

The book can be purchased for $20 at:
https://carroll.org/product/when-one-web-browser-is-not-enough/

Online lists of science fiction and fantasy books with disabled characters

Kes: There's a surprising lack of overlap in these lists, aside from a number of us loving the character of Miles Vorkosigan in the books by Lois McMaster Bujold that was the character who inspired me to write my thesis on images of disability in science fiction)

Disabled People Destroy Science Fiction issue
edited by Elsa Sjunneson, Dominik Parisien, Nicolette Barischoff, S. Qiouyi Lu and Judith Tarr. Uncanny.
https://www.amazon.com/Uncanny-Magazine-Issue-24-September-ebook/dp/B07GV6TBMN/ref=as_li_ss_tl?keywords=disabled+people+destroy&qid=1565232671&s=gateway&sr=8-1&linkCode=sl1&tag=bogireadstheworld-20&linkId=911a07f0f17fd94297d1a93bd2c483b7&language=en_US

Disabled People Destroy Fantasy, edited by Katharine Duckett, Lisa M. Bradley and Nicolette Barischoff. Uncanny.
https://www.amazon.com/Uncanny-Magazine-Issue-30-September-ebook/dp/B07X2CBZ4T/ref=as_li_ss_tl?keywords=disabled+destroy+fantasy&qid=1576735622&s=books&sr=1-1&linkCode=sl1&tag=bogireadstheworld-20&linkId=f4fe86d5fa8c8ae4f51e9e8defa40f55&language=en_US

A Short List of Science Fiction & Fantasy That Celebrates Disability, by Elsa Sjunneson-Henry
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/blog/sci-fi-fantasy/short-list-science-fiction-fantasy-celebrates-disability/

Disabled Heroes and Where to Find Them, by Elsa Sjunneson-Henry
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/blog/sci-fi-fantasy/disabled-heroes-find/

DISABILITY AND BODY POSITIVITY FOCUSED SFF ANTHOLOGIES – A COMPREHENSIVE LIST, by Bogi
http://www.bogireadstheworld.com/disability-and-body-positivity-focused-sff-anthologies-a-comprehensive-list/

Devices and Desires: Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Disability in Literature for Young People, by Jane Stemp
Disability Journal Quarterly
Winter, 2004 Volume 24, No. 1
https://dsq-sds.org/article/view/850/1025
Thoughtful overview of children's fantasy and science fiction from the 1960s through 1990s, with a notable list for further reading.
Note: searching Disability Journal Quarterly
https://dsq-sds.org/
for "science fiction" produces many more results.

ed. Disability in Science Fiction: Representations of Technology as Cure, by Kathryn Allan New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2013. 217 pp. $95.00 (cloth), ISBN
Tor includes an excerpt
https://www.tor.com/2013/08/15/disability-in-science-fiction-excerpt/

Disability and Neurodivergence in Fantasy and Science fiction, from The Illustrated Page
https://www.theillustratedpage.net/disability-and-neurodivergence-in-fantasy-and-science-fiction/

Some Science Fiction/Fantasy with Disabled Characters, by Liz Henry, author of _Unruly Islands_ (Aqueduct Press)
https://bookmaniac.org/2018/12/08/some-science-fiction-fantasy-with-disabled-characters/

Finally, here is an annotated bibliography connected to my thesis, _Decloaking Disability: Images of Disability and Technology in Science Fiction Media_
Note: When I wrote this in 2006, there weren't many resources on disability in science fiction and fantasy, so I felt I had to begin at the beginning, by focusing on early instances of these intersections, from _More Than Human_ by Theodore Sturgeon through the original "Blade Runner" film.
http://www.panix.com/~kestrell/DecloakingDisabilityBiblio.html